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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27603686">matters of The Flesh</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yallbitter/pseuds/yallbitter'>yallbitter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Regression/De-Aging, Library of Jurgen Leitner, Mentioned Annabelle Cane, The Flesh Fear Entity (The Magnus Archives), The Magnus Archives Season 3, character interaction study, transcript</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:21:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>862</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27603686</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yallbitter/pseuds/yallbitter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a mysterious Leitner appears on Jon's desk, he finds himself drawn to it. He knows it's a bad idea, but he does it anyway.</p><p> </p><p>An attempt at improving my character interaction and dialogue.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Martin Blackwood &amp; Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist &amp; Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood &amp; Melanie King, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Melanie King &amp; Tim Stoker, minor - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>matters of The Flesh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[CLICK]</p><p>[CREAKING AS A DOOR OPENS]</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>He can’t even show up on time. Typical.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[PACING]</p><p>
  <em>(muttering to himself)</em>
</p><p>[FOOTSTEPS AND DOOR CREAKING]</p><p>Martin!</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[CLOCK TICKS FAINTLY]</p><p>Oh! Um, good- good morning, Tim.</p><p>[BRIEF PAUSE AS HE LOOKS AROUND]</p><p>Is Jon not here yet?</p><p>[CHAIR SCRAPING]</p><p>[FABRIC SOUNDS AND THE CHAIR CREAKS AS HE SITS]</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>(disgusted) No. After everything he’s pulled-</p><p>[SOUND LIKE FALLING BOXES COMING FROM THE HEAD ARCHIVIST OFFICE]</p><p>
  <strong>UNKNOWN</strong>
</p><p>Oh, <strong>fuck </strong>off.</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>Did-</p><p>[CHAIR SCRAPES AS HE STANDS]</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>(interrupting) Yes.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>It sounded like…</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>(softly) A child?</p><p>[RAPID FOOTSTEPS AS THEY APPROACH THE OFFICE]</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[KNOCKING, FAST AND NERVOUS]</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>He- Hello? Is there anyone-</p><p>Oh.</p><p>[FEET SHUFFLING ON PAPER]</p><p>Um.</p><p>[AWKWARD CHILD’S COUGH]</p><p>Hello? Who- Who are you? Where are your parents?</p><p>
  <strong>UNKNOWN</strong>
</p><p>[SIGH]</p><p>Martin. It’s-</p><p>[DEEP, DEEP SIGH]</p><p>It’s me, Jon.</p><p>
  <strong>TIM, MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>(incredulous) What?</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>It- um. I found a Leitner and……</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>(growing increasingly frustrated) And you <strong>read it?</strong></p><p>[THUMP AS A HEAD HITS A WALL]</p><p><strong>Christ, </strong>Jon! I knew you weren’t making great choices but-</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>Yes! Yes, I <strong>know. </strong>This wasn’t intentional, ok? It was just there on my desk and I felt like I had to read it-</p><p>[ANOTHER THUMP]</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>Just because you feel like you have to doesn’t mean that-</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>Both of you, stop it! We need to figure out how to fix you, Jon. You can’t be a 10-year-old forever, I mean how would that even work?</p><p>[MORE SHUFFLING]</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>I think I’m 12, actually.</p><p>[GROANING FROM TIM]</p><p>[SIGH FROM MARTIN]</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>I’m calling Basira.</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>
  <strong>BASIRA</strong>
</p><p>That can’t be Jon.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>He’s so…..young.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>
  <strong>MELANIE</strong>
</p><p>Aw. You were a cute kid, Jon. What happened?</p><p>
  <strong>DAISY</strong>
</p><p>(overlapping) How the hell did you let this happen?</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>Oh, so now I’m supposed to babysit him?</p><p>[SCOFF]</p><p>He’s not a <strong>child. </strong>He can make his own stupid fucking choices-at least this one didn’t <strong>kill</strong> anyone. Yet.</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>Tim-</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>(overlapping) I didn’t want this to happen, Tim! I didn’t search out the stupid book-</p><p>
  <strong>MELANIE</strong>
</p><p>I’m sorry, I can’t take you seriously when you look like that. You were short before, but this? Also, your voice is even more irritating now, so-</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>People did always tell me that I was a ‘deeply annoying child’. My grandmother would complain to the neighbours all the time when she thought I couldn’t hear. Can’t say I blame her, really.</p><p>
  <strong>TIM </strong>
</p><p>Spare us the sob story, Jon. She was probably right. God knows you’re a deeply annoying man.</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>Tim, really? There’s no need-</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>(interrupting) Terribly sorry that I’ve inconvenienced you, Tim. You know what? You’re free to go. You all are. I’ll figure this out on my own. At least then I won’t hurt anyone but myself, and you’d <strong>love </strong>that-</p><p>[INDECIPERABLE SHOUTING FROM VARIOUS PARTIES. STOMPING AND SHUFFLING AS JON CLIMBS ONTO THE DESK TO BE TALLER]</p><p>
  <strong>DAISY, BASIRA</strong>
</p><p>[shouting over the chaos] Would all of you please <strong>shut up?</strong></p><p>[SUDDEN SILENCE]</p><p>[A SNEEZE. ITS UNCLEAR WHO IT WAS]</p><p>
  <strong>BASIRA</strong>
</p><p>We need to turn Jon back. Where’s the damned Leitner?</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>Oh.</p><p>[ANOTHER SNEEZE. JON APPEARS TO HAVE A DUST ALLERGY]</p><p>Uh....</p><p>[PAPER AND FABRIC RUSTLING]</p><p>Here it is.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[PAPER RUSTLES AS THE COVER IS OPENED]</p><p>‘Stages of human growth and development’ by Karl Jansing, from the library of (deep, frustrated sigh) Jurgen Leitner.</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[SOUND OF TEACUP BEING SET DOWN]</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>What happened when you read it?</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>It started at adulthood, and then as I read, I got younger. I only noticed when my glasses fell off and my feet went off the floor.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[PAGES FLIPPING]</p><p>(quietly) Maybe if I read it backwards?</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>Care to share with the class, <strong>boss? </strong></p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>(embarrassed, annoyed) I just thought that I could try reading it backwards.</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>That could work! It- it’s worth trying, right?</p><p>[A GRUNT, SEEMS TO BE AGREEMENT]</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>Right.</p><p>[PAGES FLIPPING]</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>[PAGES TURNING SLOWLY]</p><p>
  <strong>MELANIE</strong>
</p><p>Is it working?</p><p>
  <strong>TIM</strong>
</p><p>I think so. Look, he’s got pimples now.</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>It doesn’t-</p><p>[RUSTLING]</p><p>None of it makes sense. Somebody had to leave it there. I just don’t know who. Elias, maybe? Or Annabelle Cane. The Web is notoriously confusing, and I can’t for the life of me find any connection between this and everything else.</p><p>[SIGH]</p><p>I don’t know. I don’t like not knowing. Did it serve a purpose? Maybe it was just some random power play to show me that I’m still just a foolish puppet.</p><p>[ANOTHER SIGH, MORE BROKEN AND HOPELESS]</p><p>As if I need the reminder- Martin?</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>Hey, Jon.</p><p>[BRIEF PAUSE, NOTICES RECORDER]</p><p>Oh, sorry, I didn’t realise you were-</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>It’s ok.</p><p>[RUSTLING]</p><p>Thank you. I… I appreciate it, Martin.</p><p>[SIPPING NOISES, PRESUMABLY TEA]</p><p>
  <strong>MARTIN</strong>
</p><p>Oh- um. It’s- It’s no problem, really. That must have been hard for you, after everything else and-</p><p>[NERVOUS LAUGHTER]</p><p>I should… I should leave you to it. Feel better, Jon.</p><p>[DOOR CLOSES]</p><p>
  <strong>JON</strong>
</p><p>(wistful, lost in thought) Yes… yes, I’ll try to feel better.</p><p>[PAUSE, CLOCK TICKING]</p><p>If I can.</p><p>[PAUSE]</p><p>Oh, I left the damn thing ru-</p><p>[CLICK]</p><p>[CLICK]</p>
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